Shoestring-fastener.



No. 805,275. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. S. vFISHER.

SHOBSTRING FASTENER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 22, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL FISHER, OF BUTLER PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO EUGENE MORRISON, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOESTRl NG-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed June 22, 1906. Serial No. 266,421.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL FISHER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoestring-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac-' companying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in shoestring-fasteners; and the invention has for its object the provision of novel means for temporarily fastening the ends of the shoestrings to a shoe whereby they cannot become detached while the shoe is being worn.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive article of manufacture of the above character which will be extremely simple in construction, strong and durable, and highly eflicient for the purposes for which it is used.

Briefly described, my improved fastener consists of a tapering frame adapted to be secured to the top edge of the upper of the shoe, and in this tapering frame I mount two adjustable blocks, which are adapted to clamp the end of a string within the frame whereby it cannot become detached by a tension on the string, the blocks being so constructed as to retain the ends of a string in a fixed position until it is desired to remove the same.

The above construction will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and, referring to the drawings accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe, illustrating my improved fasteners applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the fasteners. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a top plan view, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view, of one of the gripping-blocks.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the upper of a shoe which is adapted to be laced by strings 2 and 3, the ordinary form of hooks 4 being employed in. connection with the upper of the shoe to sustain the laces or strings 2 and 3. Near the top edge of the upper adjacent to the hooks 4 Isecure my improved fasteners 5, in which the ends of the strings 1 and 2 are adapted to be secured to prevent the shoe from becoming unlac-ed. Fasteners are employed in connection with each shoe, one of said fasteners being secured upon each side of the upper, and as these fasteners are identical in construction I deem it only necessary to describe one of said fasteners,-which I have illustrated in detail in the remaining figures of the drawings.

My improved fasteners are preferably constructed of a light and durable metal capable of being bent to a substantially frustum-of-acone-shaped configuration, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The fasteners are preferably made from sheet metal, which is cut or sheared and bent to form a tapering frame consisting of a rear or base plate 6, the sides of which are bent upon the rear wall to form tapering compartments 7 7. The upper edges of the sides are bent into close proximity to one another to form a vertically-disposed slot 8, and the top confronting edges of the sides are cut away, as indicated at 9 9, to form a wide entrance to said slot. The sides are provided with verticallydisposed slots 10 10 adjacent to their confronting edges, the purpose of which will be presently described. The top and bottom edges of the rear wall 6 are provided with outwardlyextending lugs 11 11, which are pierced, as indicated at 12 12, whereby rivets or suitable fastening means may be employed for securing the frame to the upper of a shoe.

In the tapering compartments 7 7 of the frame I mount two gripping-blocks 14 14, these blocks being shorter than the depth of the compartments and they conforming in cross-section to the lower part of said compartments. The confronting faces 15 15 of the gripping-blocks are adapted to lie in planes parallel with one another, and near the lower end of each block I provide an upwardly-extending headed pin 16, which is mounted in the blocks 14 14 after they have been placed in the compartments 7, said pins being inserted through the slots 10 10. These pins act as guides during the movement of the blocks, and to prevent the blocks from being displaced from their respective compartments I provide the upper edge of the rear wall 6 with inwardly-extending lugs 17 17, and as it is impossible for the blocks 14 14 to pass out through the bottom of said frame it will be equally impossible for the blocks to become displaced through the top thereof.

When it is desired to secure the ends of the strings 2 and 3 in my improved fasteners, the ends of the strings are placed in the slots 8 8 of the fasteners and forced between the gripping-blocks 14C 14:. The weight of these blocks descending by gravity is adapted to hold the strings Within the fasteners, and the strings cannot become detached until the blocks are elevated by pulling on the strings in the elevating direction.

W hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination With the upper of a shoe, of fasteners adapted to be secured to said upper adjacent to the lacing ends thereof, each fastener consisting of a rear Wall having its sides bent to form tapering compartments, the formation of said compartments providing a longitudinally-disposed slot between the a p-w edges of said sides, said sides having angularly-disposed slots formed therein, pierced lugs carried by said rear Wall, gripping-blocks mounted in said compartments, pins carried by said blocks and protruding through said slots, substantially as described.

2. The combination With a shoe, of fasteners attached to the shoe and adapted to temporarily retain the ends of shoestrings, each fastener consisting of a rear Wall having its sides bent to form compartments, pierced lugs carried by said rear Wall, gripping-blocks slidably mounted in said compartments, means to guide said blocks Within said compartments, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL FISHER.

Witnesses:

L. P. WALKER, A. M. AKINS. 

